Division Day…

Division Day are a diverse indie rock band based out of Los Angeles. I am quite surprised this band has not received more praise within indie rock circles. Beatrap Island is the band’s debut full length and it is quite an impressive affair. The Calfornia band has created an eclectic album that will appeal to a wide array of indie rock fans as well as those in the modern rock circles.

The title track, “Beartrap Island” is a beautiful intro to the album that showcases the often frail vocals of front man Rohner Segnitz. His vocals remind me of Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol but don’t let that scare you off. Division Day and Snow Patrol differ in about every other aspect. As Snow Patrol’s lyrics border on being overly sentimental, Division Day’s lyrics are cryptic and dark most of the time. Musically, there is no comparison as Division Day’s frenetic and somber arrangements touch closer to the brilliant Dismemberment Plan. You can certainly hear that comparison on tracks like “Tap-Tap, Click-Click” where the give and take between the keyboard and guitar sounds so familiar. “Hurricane” sounds like a more toned down version of a band like Spoon as the guitars wail but never completely go off. The instrumentally bare “Hand To The Sound” once again leaves the vocals of Segnitz as the focal point. The frenetic “To The Woods” follows and it works with good measure. The fact that the band can transition back and forth so easily between sounds is remarkable. “Tigers” is a jarring track that starts and ends with the odd lyrics of I want your blood inside my head. The slow tempos of “Dayenu” brings the mood right back down. The pacing and tracking of this album is some of the best I have heard in a long time. It adds to an already fantastic set of songs on Beartrap Island.

Beartrap Island is certainly a grower of an album. I could sense on my first listens that there was more to the album beneath the eye. And the more I listened the more the album revealed. Division Day have given us a debut album that not only delivers, but promises so much towards the future. Indie rock fans should have a new favorite band.